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University Daily Kansas Friday April 22, 1960
Tennis Squad Climbs to Top in 3 Years
Bv Tom Clark
It's been said that the third time around is a charm and tennis coach, Denzel Gibbens, is causing many to believe it. Within three years, the dedicated tennis coach and assistant business manager has built KU into a contender for the Big Eight net crown.
KU finished as an also ran in his first year, but Gibbens' rebuilding program began to bear rewards last spring as the team came from a 1-5 deficit to mark up a 7-6 season record. But, even more gratifying was the fact that the Crimson-and-Elue would have six returning lettermen, including four members of the top five.
Looks Bright
Things looked bright for 1960, that is until practice rolled around and three lettermen were scratched for ineligibility and other reasons. This caused many to become apprehensive, but the friendly Jayhawk coach remained undismaised.
Here was KU tennis, supposedly in its finest hour, only to lose by default to the books and financial reasons. Even Old Man Winter appeared dead set against the net squad, keeping them penned up indoors on a soft mud court except for one practice session. Even then, the North wind swept through the Stadium as if it, too, were determined to keep the Jayhawkers behind the eight ball.
Then, Coach Gibbens found another reason to keep up the fight. KU's last Big Eight Conference Singles Champion, Bob Riley, had returned to enroll in Law school and offered his talents to aid the Jayhawk cause. Riley, who won the conference title as a sophomore in 1957, had just claimed the Greater Kansas City title last summer, and was adding his enthusiasm to that of Gibbens. This plus a determined team spirit added up to be a winning formula as the Jayhawkers embarked on their season with a 7-0 warmun against Washburn.
Then, followed a southern road trip against defending Missouri Valley Champion, Wichita, and the Big Eight No.1 and No.2 teams last year, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. This same trip had proven thrice disastrous for KU last year, and apprehension prevailed as the Jayhawks prepared to match their sophomore inexperience against the best.
Sophomores Top
With sophomores, Mel Karrle and Pete Woodward, holding down the top two positions, and seniors, Dave Coupe, Jim Brownfield, and Bill Sheldon adding the essential depth, KU swept past Wichita and Oklahoma on successive days. The grind was telling on the last day as KU fell before defending conference champion, Oklahoma State, 7-0.
Consistency is the skill in tennis that separates the champion from the bridesmaids, and the Jayhawks were determined to continue their winning ways. They jumped back into the winning column with an impressive 6-1 victory over Iowa State. This triumph was sweet in another sense also, since it marked their first debut on the new cement courts just west of Allen Field House.
The Jayhawk netmen followed with a repeat victory over Wichita, only in a more impressive manner. With this, they head into a double dual against Missouri and Kansas State at Manhattan, and a return bout with Washburn.
The key to KU's impressive win string is the ingredient associated more with its track and football teams, a term called depth, in other words, bench strength.
Good Quality
This, together with KU's quality, is beginning to reap benefits. Behind Sheldon who is holding down the No. 5 post is another senior, Bill Gochis. Gochis has seen action twice this season winning a singles victory, but losing in his No. 2 doubles debut against Iowa State.
Steve Reed and Fred Perry, both sophomores are pushing Gochis, and give promise of being capable replacements for the seniors next spring.
Woodward and Karrle, both sophomores, were two of the most sought after net stars in this area. Woodward is a former Kansas State High School champion and Karrle
advanced far in the doubles bracket in the Missouri state prep tournament his senior year.
Mel Karrle
Coupe was the winningest KU netter in 1953, and, perhaps, may prove to be again this year. He has won four of his singles matches thus far, a much better showing than at the same time last year.
Jim Brownfield, an unknown last season, fought his way to the No.
Brownfield Moves Up
4 position and has won five of his six matches this spring. The Kansas City, Kan., product is one of the most steady performers on the team, and his big advantages are his competitive spirit and calm disposition.
as KU squeezed by 4-3. He provides a solid anchor man for the Mount Oread Racket Warriors.
In the No. 5 spot, which in many matches may prove to be the difference between victory and defeat, is another senior, Bill Sheldon. The Salma senior proved the margin of victory against Wichita in the second match of the season
Yes, the third time may be the charm, but Coach Gibbens won't agree until his netmen take a whack at the title May 20-21 at Ames. There are many obstacles between the Jayhawks and their trip to Iowa State, but they are out not only to prove they're the Conference best in tennis, but that Coach Gibbens' third try is charmed with victory.
Kansas' Terry Beucher
(Continued from page 3)
no baseball Shawnee-Mission, he wandered across the track practice range one afternoon on his way home. Handed a javelin by a friend, he wafted it 150-feet in his street clothes.
He was only a freshman then, but his unrehearsed effort gave him hope for interscholastic athletics. By his senior season he had reached 180 for Coach Bob Karnes, the old Kansas Miler now cinder boss at Drake.
Beuer is unusual on two counts. One is that he never has had a sore arm, something almost unheard of in the spear-flinging fraternity. Secondly, he is a licensed
pilot who averages one flight per week just for fun. He often takes Alley with him in the Cessna 172 he rents from Erhart Flying Service here.
When Alley is not the passenger, Terry's wife, the former Anne Sagerers of Kansas City, is. They have an 11-months-old son, Greg.
Beucher's father, Capt. C. L. Beucher, has been a TWA pilot 16 years. He also was an all-state prep guard at Postville, Iowa, but never threw a javelin.
Terry admits he is torn between a career as a petroleum engineer, his major, and that of a commercial pilot. Right now, though, he'd like to get a good throw airborne in the Relays.
(Continued from page 3)
Small College Threat
Completing the ensemble are Bob Broadway, who has done .09.8 and Dave Arends, who has clocked .09.9. The latter took part in the U.S. Olympic 500-meter skating trials last winter.
Altenberg a physical education major who plans to become a coach, did not survive the 100 preliminaries at Texas, but came back to help his mates to fourth in the College 440 relay. Not bad for a club which, like most of the plainsland entries, had
been snowed-in during the early season.
Tidwell, defending NCAA champion, and Altenberg, are the only returning place-winners from last year's Kansas Relays century. The former ran second at Texas behind the host club's Ralph Alspaugh, both being clocked in .097.
Every Texas Relays baton champion from both classes, plus every individual king is scheduled to appear here on the second leg of the 1960 Texas-Kansas-Drake Grand circuit.
WELCOME and Enjoy Your Visit to the 35th K.U. RELAYS
We hope you have a good time at this newer and better Kansas University event. During your stay here in Lawrence drive into any of the modern STANDARD Stations and get the best, most reliable service in town.
Parker Buick Company Standard Service 700 N. H. VI 3-3522
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